2026 Supreme(Online)(Ker) 31636

IN THE HIGH COURT OF KERALA AT ERNAKULAM
P.V.Kunhikrishnan, J
Shobhana M.K – Appellant
Versus
Unnikulam Grama Panchayath – Respondent
RP NO. 582 OF 2026

A court has the inherent authority to recall its own judgment if it is satisfied that a significant procedural omission, such as the failure to consider all prayers in an original writ petition, requires the matter to be reheard in the interest of justice.

Headnote:The review petition was filed seeking to recall a previous judgment passed by the court in a writ proceeding. The petitioner contended that certain prayers contained in the original writ petition were not addressed by the court due to a lapse by the legal counsel. Upon consideration of the submissions, the court acknowledged the error and determined that the interests of justice necessitated a reconsideration of the matter. The core issue was whether a judgment could be recalled when specific prayers in the writ petition were overlooked by the court due to oversight. The court reasoned that in the interest of enabling a comprehensive adjudication of all claims, it is appropriate to restore the writ petition to its original standing. The ratio decidendi rests on the court's inherent power to rectify procedural oversights to ensure justice. The review petition is allowed, and the earlier judgment is recalled with a directive to restore the writ petition to the file.